Derrick Adams

American, b. 1970

In a diverse practice that spans collage, sculpture, performance, drawing, and video, Derrick Adams explores the force of popular culture in our lives and plays with perception in relation to objects and texts. Rooted in deconstructivist philosophies, Adams’s work focuses on the fragmentation and manipulation of structure and surface. He frequently reconfigures familiar objects; for one series he updated mass-produced African figurines, turning them into superhero-like icons. “Most of my work resides in this idea of how outside influences impact the construction of self-image,” he has said. His series "Deconstruction Worker" includes 100 pieces that examine the construction of the figure and image, including collaged profiles of heads composed of mashed-up elements that suggest architectural floorplans.

In a diverse practice that spans collage, sculpture, performance, drawing, and video, Derrick Adams explores the force of popular culture in our lives and plays with perception in relation to objects and texts. Rooted in deconstructivist philosophies, Adams’s work focuses on the fragmentation and manipulation of structure and surface. He frequently reconfigures familiar objects; for one series he updated mass-produced African figurines, turning them into superhero-like icons. “Most of my work resides in this idea of how outside influences impact the construction of self-image,” he has said. His series "Deconstruction Worker" includes 100 pieces that examine the construction of the figure and image, including collaged profiles of heads composed of mashed-up elements that suggest architectural floorplans.